When they are quiet, they are usually up to something. If
you have children or have taken care of young children, you probably know what
I am talking about. This is something that I have lived by and is always in the
back of my mind, except for today. I learned this the hard way when I had to
spend three hours cleaning bits of finely shredded Styrofoam from every inch of
my living room. The girls wanted to have a winter wonderland and I was busy
putting together some new end tables. They
asked me if “they could make it snow
in the house” and I absentmindedly agreed. I learned never to just say “yes”.
Yesterday I turned my back and discovered that baby Z had drawn and colored all
over the kitchen floor while peacefully playing and gleefully singing “happy
birthday to mama!” Big sister Z had finished using her markers and left them
uncapped within reach of the baby. As I mopped the floor, I reminded myself
that when they are quiet, they are usually up to something. Today was
different. We had “the Vaseline incident”, but that was not major. The girls
had decided that they needed to moisturize so they used the tub of Vaseline on
my bathroom counter.
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| Big Z knows they are in trouble, Little Z does not care! |
Today, I was a cleaning machine. I smiled proudly as I
surveyed my accomplishment. Despite not feeling well, I had managed to clean
the house and do a couple loads of laundry. Capitalizing on this new burst of
energy, I decided to clean the bathroom (refer to the Vaseline incident). The girls were finally getting along and
playing very well together. I gave them some books and a couple of toys to keep
them occupied and immersed myself in cleaning the bathroom. Everything was
good…too good. The house was quiet... too quiet. I snapped back to reality when
I heard big sister yell “stop!” As I ran to the Livingroom I felt crunching
under my feet, but I ignored it. As I entered the room, I was greeted by a sea
of chocolate cheerios and Craisins wonderland. Every inch was covered with
their concoction. They both realized I was standing there and proudly displayed
their masterpiece. I faintly whispered “why?” With an innocent doe-eyed look,
my oldest answered “We were hungry.” For the record, they had just finished
eating lunch, so they were not hungry. Big Z knew they were in trouble, the
implication of their action had not dawned on Little Z. “Look, mama!”
she
exclaimed. She scattered the mess even more pushing them further in all
directions. I could not even get mad. I let out a chuckle as I plopped down on
the floor beside them. Big Z realized that they were not in serious trouble
since mommy was laughing and playing along. She relaxed and resumed working on
her pile. Baby Z gleefully scattered the remining mixture of cheerios and
craisins farther in to the Livingroom. I let them enjoy playing for a little
bit, then we had a brief talk about why we should not waste food. They were
more than happy to help me clean up the mess. Life with my little divas can be
messy, but I’m so happy to witness the little things that brings them so much
joy. Now I know, when they are quiet they are definitely up to something!
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| "We were hungry!" |
